The Cathedral Health Ministry and Anglican Church Women (ACW) invite you to attend a Spring gathering in the Cathedral.
Join us on Tuesday, 23 April from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Enjoy tea, treats and treasures. You’ll have the opportunity to view rarely-seen historical treasures from the Cathedral!
The Cathedral is wheelchair accessible. All are welcome.
Donations of toiletry items will be gratefully accepted for the Cathedral Outreach program.
The Pause Table initiative has become one that is welcomed by university students during exam week.
Campus ministries at UNB and STU are once again collaborating with faith communities to host the tables during upcoming exams. Volunteers will provide free food, beverages, a listening ear, and conversation, and handwritten personalized notes to give students a break from studying.
The Cathedral branch of Mothers’ Union will host a Pause Table on Monday, 15 April, 2024.
Donations of food would be greatly appreciated from the congregation (baked goods, sandwiches, fruit, microwaveable noodles, etc.). Non-perishable items can be delivered to Cathedral Memorial Hall during business hours. Perishable items can dropped off on Sunday, 14 April during worship. Please mark them for UNB Outreach.
We also welcome volunteers who would like to spend some time at the Pause Table interacting with students. Contact Diane Nash <mrsnash68 at gmail.com> or Susan Watson <bagel.watson at hotmail.com> if you have questions or wish to be added to the schedule.
Mothering Sunday, not to be confused with Canadian Mother's Day, is celebrated in Anglican Churches on the fourth Sunday in Lent; and dates to the custom in England when domestic servants in the grand houses of the landed gentry were permitted to go home to visit their home church and mother. Often the housekeeper or cook would allow the maids to bake a cake to take home to their mother. Sometimes a gift of eggs or flowers from the garden (or hothouse) was allowed, or they may have picked wildflowers from he wayside, violets especially.
In Canada, Mothers' Union branches observe Mothering Sunday by distributing flowers to mothers and serving the traditional Simnel cake and/or cookies after worship. Simnel cake is a light fruit cake made with a layer of marzipan in the middle and if desired a layer on top. The cake is decorated with 11 marzipan balls representing the 12 apostles minus Judas, the betrayer of Christ. If 12 balls are used, the 12th one is to represent Jesus.
Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday
Even more ancient custom is the Fourth Sunday in Lent referred to as Laetare Sunday, when the Church took a bit of a breather from Lenten practice and opened the Eucharist with the entrance antiphon, “Rejoice, Jerusalem … be joyful, all who were in mourning!” – from Isaiah chapter 66. The Latin word means “rejoice..”
On this Sunday, in churches that had them, priests would wear rose coloured vestments on both Laetare Sunday and Gaudete Sunday (the Third Sunday of Advent). The colour was used as a sign of the joy characterizing these two Sundays. The use of rose vestments may even originate in an even more ancient tradition of the Church blessing golden roses that were sent to heads of state on the Fourth Sunday in Lent.
In addition to attending Sunday worship a family might choose to mark Laetare Sunday by anticipating the Easter feast; a Sunday brunch with roses on the table or during this beginning period of spring to plant a rose bush on this day. Noting the medieval tradition of visiting one’s “mother church” (the church where one was baptized) on this day might suggest a family trip to see where mom and dad or the children began their journey of faith. In any case, this Sunday seemed to be a most appropriate day for “Mothering Sunday.”
Recipe for Simnel Cake
| 3/4 cup soft butter 3/4 cup sugar 4 eggs 1/2 tsp almond extract 2 cups raisins 1 cup currants 1/2 cup mixed peel |
1/3 cup chopped candied cherries 2 tsp lemon rind 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 500 grams of almond paste, at room temperature |
Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Add almond extract. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to eggs, then add the fruit and mix.
Put 1/2 the mixture in an 8” springform pan lined with waxed or parchment paper. Roll half of almond paste and place in pan. Spoon remainder of batter on top. Bake 30 min at 350°F then reduce heat to 300°F and bake 1 1/2 hours longer. Cool 10 min. Heat oven to 425°F.
Roll remaining almond paste into an 8” round circle and 12 small balls. Put the circle on top of the cake and place the balls on top like the numbers on a clock.
Listen to Deacon Isabel Cutler speak about Mothers' Union at the Cathedral on Sunday March 10th.
His first service as organist was Oct. 21, 2021. Since then he’s been taking weekly lessons from Thomas Gonder, Christ Church Cathedral’s organist. “He’s a phenomenal organist,” said Christian of Thomas. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s played all over Canada. He’s shown me techniques I never knew.”
Originally posted at the Diocese of Fredericton
Christian Vanecek
When Sandra Gereau moved to Prince Edward Island, St. Peter’s in Fredericton was left without an organist. So the former rector, Canon Ross Hebb, began asking around.
“Jokingly, Ross Hebb asked my dad if he could play the organ. He said ‘No, but my son does,’” said Christian Vanicek.
The joke was on Christian, because he’d never played an organ in his life. He was, however, an accomplished pianist.
“I had no experience, but I was willing to learn. Sandy gave me a few lessons to show me how it worked,” he said.
BECOMING AN ORGANIST
His first service as organist was Oct. 21, 2021. Since then he’s been taking weekly lessons from Thomas Gonder, Christ Church Cathedral’s organist.
“He’s a phenomenal organist,” said Christian of Thomas. “He knows what he’s doing. He’s played all over Canada. He’s shown me techniques I never knew.”
The organ lessons are in addition to his piano lessons, Grade 12 studies, and soccer playing. The 17-year-old is a busy guy, just finished his first semester high school exams and about to sit for his Grade 10 piano exam with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Despite all this, he is keen on playing the organ to the best of his ability.
“This is a great organ for someone just starting out,” he said of the Tracker organ whose beginnings date back to 1835.
“This is considered an original instrument,” said Sandra in a story from 2016. “It means it’s in its original state. The mechanisms are pretty basic — wood, tin pipes, reeds, leather connectors and wire holding the parts together.
“It also means this type of organ will last a long time. There is very little to go wrong on it.”
For Christian, it’s all about the sounds he can produce.
“It allows me to be creative,” he said. “I’m somewhat limited on piano, but this is expressive, loud. I’m making music the way I see it.”
He finds a big difference between the organ he plays every Sunday morning and the Cathedral’s organ.
“The Cathedral’s has four keyboards. There must be at least eight times as many stops compared to the one,” he said. “The Cathedral’s is nice and grand, but I like the simplicity and how this one feels to play.”
FUTURE PLANS
Despite coming from a musical family, playing the piano since the age of 4 and now playing the organ, Christian is not planning a musical career. He has been accepted into the foundations program at the University of Kings College in Halifax, where the Rev. Ranall Ingalls (former rector in Sackville) is the chaplain.
“There’s an organ in the chapel there, and I hope to help out in some capacity,” he said.
Christian hopes to pursue a degree in history, and then he has his mind on law school.
History, he says, is where his heart is.
“There’s so much to learn,” said Christian. “It helps to know where we come from to give us a better perspective of who we are.”
Christian is the youngest child of Filip and Marianne Vanicek. His brother, Sebastian, 22, is in medical school in Scotland, and his sister, Caroline, 20, is at UNB studying math and physics.
ST. PETER’S
The Rev. Canon Elaine Hamilton is thrilled to have Christian among her congregants at St. Peter’s.
“With his great skill at the organ, and the choir at St. Peter's, the music each Sunday elevates our worship,” she said. “When starting to fill in at St. Peter's Church one-and-a-half years ago, I was thrilled and impressed to find such an accomplished teenager at the organ bench.
“Christian is a lovely, quiet, unassuming and wonderfully talented young man, which bodes well for his future.
“He graduates this year from high school and will be off to university. I know he will succeed and wish him well as he traverses university life and beyond. We will miss him immensely.”
THOMAS
When Christian leaves for university in the fall, Thomas will be missing more than just giving lessons.
“He’s by far the best student I’ve ever had,” said Thomas. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime student, and I am going to miss him terribly.
“He’s a nice person to be around. He has a startling lack of arrogance. He’s very humble and I think that makes a person a better musician.”
Christian is a Cathedral Organ Scholar, a title granted to a deserving student which comes with the opportunity to play on occasion.
Because he’s at St. Peter’s on Sunday mornings, he plays for the monthly Evensong at the Cathedral. He’s also played in the summer recital series in 2022 and 2023.
“He brought in more donations than any other series, and probably more people as well,” said Thomas. “I think he broke attendance records for the summer series.”
About his playing, Thomas has seen vast improvement over two-and-a-half years of lessons.
“He’s come a long, long way,” he said. “He’s naturally gifted. His organ lesson on Friday night is the highlight of my week.”
While Thomas wholeheartedly agrees that Christian could have a career in music, it’s not the easiest to forge, he said. It seems Christian knows that as well.
“Even though I’ve been playing music my whole life, I’ve never wanted it as a career,” said Christian. “But wherever I settle, I’ll always be open to helping out at a church, playing or whatever.”
Best wishes and blessings to Christian from the Diocesan Synod.
Gisele MacKnight
Ms. Jane Martinez, Principal of St. Hilda's Anglican School in Belize, sent us this update. Please keep Ms. Martinez, her son, the high school scholarship students, and all of the elementary students and staff at St. Hilda's in your prayers.
Greetings Friends,
I pray that this email finds you well. Our school year started out well and so far we are managing by God's grace. There has been a lot of illness among both teachers and students. A terrible flu has been plaguing the schools so we are encouraging students to stay at home until it passes so that it doesn't spread.
I was supposed to share the reports with you since the first week of February but unfortunately, my son was in a motorcycle accident. I am so thankful that he is alive. His pelvic bone is open and both knees got injured. A ligament in his right knee burst as well so he is not allowed to walk for the next six weeks. We have four more weeks to go before his next evaluation. We are praying that both will heal on their own and he will not have to do surgery. It was a scary experience but God is in control. I am presently working from home because he needs someone close by to assist him.
I have attached the report of the three [scholarship] students. I have spoken to all students personally to encourage them to improve in areas where they fell short. Silvia [our new scholarship student] is doing very well in her class. She is a class leader and has received several certificates and awards. She participates in her school's praise dance team as well. They were encouraged to ask for assistance if needed because we are there to support them.
As soon as I am back at school I will give an update of activities that we are engaged in. We are about to start our "Child Stimulation Month" activities which starts March 1st. Our preschoolers will be involved in various activities throughout the month. We are excited to see what all will be accomplished. The theme for this year is "Magic Garden of Skills: Watch us Bloom".
I continue to say thank you so much for your invaluable support and partnership with St. Hilda's Anglican School. We will continue to pray for you as you pray for us as well. We love you all!
Best,
Jane
Gary Barfitt, President of the Cathedral Guild of St. Joseph, shared this message of thanks regarding the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.
Gary Barfitt, David Perritt and Jim Morell - three of the many volunteers who spent time organizing and serving at the 2024 pancake supper.
As we close the books on our 2024 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, on behalf of the Cathedral Guild of St. Joseph, I want to offer a huge thank-you to all those who helped make it a success. Thank you to all the volunteers who worked to get the pancakes, sausages, beans, and gingerbread from the back of the kitchen to the tables in the Hall. There were over 50 people taking care of the many and varied tasks required to feed this year’s over 170 patrons. And the generosity of those patrons raised more than $1900 towards the work of the Guild. We especially thank those people who supported us by attending the event and, apparently, enjoying the meal and the opportunity to spend time with friends.
Stay tuned for our next Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper which will be on Tuesday, March 4, 2025!
The approximately 220 people came and went over a two-hour dinner period, seated "family style" in long tables in the Main Hall. Don't worry, all of the volunteers got to eat, too! It was a great opportunity for conversation with fellow Cathedral members and neighbours from our community.
If you, or anyone you know, left an item at the event, drop by Cathedral Memorial Hall to check the coat rack and the Lost & Found box!
Several members of the Cathedral Communications Committee took photos of the popular event, which are shared below.
The Cathedral's monthly Monday Outreach Program is looking for specific items to help people in need in our community. Can you donate any of these?
* Hand warmers
* Toilet paper
* Canned meat (e.g. chicken, tuna, etc.)
* Winter boots
* Long Johns and sweatpants for men
Items can be dropped off at the Cathedral Office, 168 Church Street, during office hours, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon, Monday to Friday.
On the last Monday of each month, Outreach volunteers help people in need who visit Cathedral Memorial Hall. They receive canned goods, sandwiches, fresh fruit, muffins, juice and other goodies, as well as a $10 gift card from a supermarket or city transit tickets. Guests may also choose items such as donated footwear and used clothing, toiletries, and towels. The need is great in our city, and the number of guests on January 29th increased to 70 individuals. The recipients, who range in age from toddlers to seniors, were grateful for the assistance. The next Monday Outreach event will take place on Monday, February 26.
Volunteer Mary Lou Cotter packs goodie bags for outreach guests
Thank you to volunteers who help onsite, or with preparation, baking, or donate items or funds. Speak with a member of the Outreach Committee or contact the Cathedral Office if you'd like to help.
Learn more about various outreach initiatives at the Cathedral.
Here are some letters from the current recipients of Cathedral scholarships to attend high school in Belize.
Sylvia Trapp (Grade 9)
Dear Friends,
I am very thankful for the assistance that you have given me at the beginning of the school year. I have achieved a lot this semester. I got some good grades and won a presentation competition for harvest.
I am working harder to get better grades. My biggest challenge has been in Social Studies but I’m working on doing better. I received an excellence award which has motivated me to work harder. I have also met some new friends thanks to your help.
The Christmas event we had at school was so so amazing, I participated in a lot of praise dances for my class. I love dancing.
With that said, I want to wish you a wonderful Christmas and an amazing and blessed New Year.
Sincerely,
Silvia Trapp
Caleb Martinez (Grade 10)
Dear friends of St. Hilda's,
Merry Christmas friends of St. Hilda's. I hope you and your family are having a very Merry Christmas.
As my journey at Belmopan Comprehensive High School continues I've so far had only one issue when it comes to my math grade, on my report card it showed that my average had done to a 70 percent. But later on when I checked with my math teacher, I was passing all my assessments and tests, I was told it was a mechanical error and would have to be reprinted. This year the school introduced a new curriculum so we are getting less class work and more group projects. This has caused a big problem because almost every weekend I had to travel to complete the projects. But to save money I started just doing them by myself
With 2nd semester around the corner I plan to join my school's track and field team but to do so I have to keep all my grades high. We also received word that we will be taking exams this year, the exams will contain all we did from school started.
In 3rd form I'm still debating between business or Arts, I will be sure fill you in on my decision.
Merry Christmas friends of St. Hilda's and may God keep us safe for further days ahead, and I greatly thank you for this amazing opportunity.
Caleb
Korey Kelly (Grade 11)
Hello Friends,
I hope this finds you in good spirits.
I would just like to let you know that I really and truly appreciate the help you have given me in progressing through high school. The first semester of school has been going alright but I have had some ups and downs though I am doing well in most of my classes except for Economics and English. Those two are the only subjects that are really giving me some issues but I think I can improve in them. All I need to do is study and pay more attention in class to do better in them.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy your Christmas with your family and friends. Again, I would like to thank you for the support you have given me in progressing through school.
Sincerely,
Korey
About the Cathedral's Belize High School Scholarship Program
Currently, the congregation of Christ Church Cathedral provides scholarships for three students who would not able to attend high school without support, since high school is not publicly funded in Belize. This additional education provides them with important skills and opportunities. Each scholarship is $1000 CAD per year. We intend to provide a scholarship to a student entering high school next year, so we will again be supporting one student in each grade.
In Belize, the average age at which a child leaves school is 13 years old, because of the prohibitive costs of tuition for high school, which families must pay. Unemployment in the country is high, there are many large single-parent families, and almost half of Belizeans live below the poverty line.
The Cathedral has a special relationship with the staff and students of St. Hilda’s Anglican School, an elementary in the rural village of Georgeville. Over two hundred children attend the school, ranging between kindergarten and grade 8, in addition to a recently established preschool.
Cathedral teams have travelled to Belize five times: in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2018. Over 60 Cathedral members ranging in age from 15 to 79 have participated in a mission trip to Belize, and hundreds of people in Fredericton have supported the work at St. Hilda's through organizational support, donations and prayers.
In 2010, Cathedral mission team members established a high school scholarship program which has allowed students from St. Hilda’s to apply for a scholarship to continue their education past grade 8. Some of the graduates supported by the Cathedral have gone on to post-secondary education, and all have gained knowledge and experience that will help them in their future.
We are grateful for all who have helped to provide scholarships for these teenagers, and support for programs at the elementary school. Learn more about our mission work in Belize.
You can contribute to the mission in Belize through offering envelopes or donate online.
If you are interested in participating in future endeavors benefiting the students in Belize, please contact the Cathedral Office to connect with members of the Belize mission committee.
